Masters General Information

Dundrum South Dublin Athletic Club, Masters has two distinct sections. A Masters Sprint group consisting of track and field disciplines up to and including 400mts, a Masters Endurance group which caters for all middle & long distance training & racing over 800mts. The Masters Sprint group is combined with our senior sprinters and training times can be seen on the training pages of this site. The Masters Endurance group is combined with our adult meet & train group for training slots, for times please see the training pages of this website.

Competitive Masters ExplainedA person becomes a Master on their 35th birthday. In Dublin & National competition there are grouped individual age categories in each sex, those being 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70 etc. For men, teams Dublin & National Masters competition are over 35 (O35 or M35) and over 50 (O50 or M50) team categories in each sex. So if you are a woman, 47, you qualify for a clubs O35 (W35) team and on your 50th birthday you qualify for your clubs O50 (W50) team. While at 47 you compete individually in the O45 (W45) category. You must be a fully registered (paid up) member of an athletics club to qualify for both Dublin competitions run by Dublin Athletics and National competition run by Athletics Ireland.

I'm 32, what do I do!!!!!There are many members who begin or rekindle their interest in athletics in their late 20s or early 30s, for these people there are plenty of competitions at Novice & Intermediate level which the club enters teams and individuals. These provide competition level just below Senior class which many find a great way to develop into ongoing improvement. In your late 20s early 30s you are in an ideal position to spend a number of years developing your talent to enter Masters at age 35 as a seasoned campaigner with many years training behind you. We find these athletes can over time achieve national level success which they revel in at Master events.

Former Club AthletesDSDAC welcomes all former athletes who may have been juvenile, junior or senior athletes who have not been competitive for a number of years. Should you fit into this category and wish to rekindle your athletics in either Track & Field or Endurance you are most welcome back to DSD. You're bound to meet some old fellow club mates who are back with their children or whom are again competing as Masters. Even if you've lost previous fitness and wish to get going again from whatever level, you'll find a group of like minded people and a gentle amount of good natured ribbing from your peers!!!!!

"You, reading this page, former DSD athlete, it's time to get yourself back to us. I've heard all the excuses as to why you can't, tell me how you can!" Declan Ryan.

Strength & ConditioningIn both the Sprint group and the Endurance group there are regular strength & conditioning sessions free to members after training. For all athletes these sessions are vital toward improvement. Building core stability and strength is applicable to all athletic interest. Each group however undertakes specific strength & conditioning suited to their area of athletic interest. For those serious about their athletics these sessions are not to be missed.

Foam Rollers to Fois Gras!!!!!!As we age our body tends to need a little extra care and attention with strength & conditioning and nutrition. Our general well being and condition is very much dependant on how we deal with these matters, particularly if we are serious about competition. In DSD we host occasional seminars for members on these topics. The club employs specialists to discuss & present to club members how best to manage areas like nutrition, strength & conditioning, bio mechanical assessment etc. These sessions are only available to club members and our members find them most valuable. Indeed many of your training partners can be extremely good at managing these things and are always happy to share their experiences on what works best for them.

Master High Performance FundingDSD is very keen to support athletes whom are competitive on an international stage in Masters athletics. There are criteria set out in DSDs high performance policy documents which your coach will be familiar with, we encourage all athletes whom are achieving at this level to discuss support options available. However, it should be noted that funding will not be available to athletes whom are entering national or international events that have an open entry policy.

"Now let's see, who will be the fastest fifty year old in Ireland" DSD Anon!!!!!

Am I a Master???Apart from age which has already been explained, there is the inevitable question of am I good enough!!!! The best place to answer these questions are recent year's results in your chosen discipline. We would advise that you look at the results from the http://www.dublinathletics.com/ for all Dublin Championships, http://www.athleticsireland.ie/ for all National Championships. If you find you are competitive then what are you waiting for. If not then with training in our sprint group or our adult meet & train group for endurance there are plenty of races and events on the training program to keep your competitive interest flowing until you've improved enough to compete at a Masters level. Your coaches will also guide you as to how competitive you can become and will generally have a good feel for your ability if you're attending regular training sessions.

"I've learned not to be intimidated by new types of competition, whether it be cross country, masters, graded meets, indoor masters or even Parkrun!" Ray Thornberry.

Warm Weather Training CampsThe club usually hosts a warm weather training camp each year over the winter-spring period depending on training patterns, target events and interest. Many Northern European athletes opt for a few weeks of warm weather training during their winter/spring training to aid in preparation for competition. These camps typically introduce newer athletes to twice daily training, proper methods of rest & recuperation and other issues. Camps are held in southern Portugal and are only open to club members. The sessions are hosted on beautiful local forest dirt trails and an international IAAF approved track facility. These spectacular conditions for training have made these camps very popular indeed.

Master MembershipOur value membership pack provides you with a range of membership options tailored to match your availability to do some volunteering for the club in assisting with the operation of our facilities and various programs. The club operates a strict policy on membership and you will be expected to keep your membership in place and renewed each year in a timely manner - Click here for online registration

"You, reading this page, I've heard all the excuses why you can't train, tell me how you can!" Declan Ryan.